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After graduating from IUPUI with a degree in Psychology, Emiliya started to feel the pressure of her family, friends, and even the job market to pursue something in technology. She’s able to laugh about it now, but at the time, she felt pressured to pursue something that was of only mediocre interest to her. When she dug into it a little more, Emiliya realized just how important technology is, “now you have technology in whatever you do.” She realized that no matter what career path she pursues, having a knowledge of technology and coding will help her go even further.

From peer pressure to diving deep into code

While it might have been peer pressure that first spurred Emiliya to look into coding, looking back she says she didn’t hesitate. And as far as attending Eleven Fifty’s SmartStart program, Emiliya says, “I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else.” The people were what first attracted Emiliya, but now that she is several weeks into her program, it’s the hands-on experience of coding real applications that has her hooked and excited.

While she might just be going with the flow right now, Emiliya loves building applications, “doing something with code and then seeing real results,” is what keeps her going. For someone never exposed to computer science or coding, she’s keeping up and excelling at her work, which is why she was one of the current cohorts Guggenheim Scholarship recipients.

What’s next for Emiliya?

Whatever Emiliya ends up doing, it’ll probably be focused on front-end development. She may not have her eyes set on a specific field or career, but she does want to work for someone with a focus on diversity and with an international setting. Along with coding skills, Emiliya will bring the knowledge of 4 languages and an intense focus to her future employer. She hopes to work in a collaborative environment that also focuses on the health of their employees.